


Tainted Hearts, Pure Feelings

by Love_Psycho



Category: Tales of Series, Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Berseria Style AU, Fluff, M/M, Romance, rebirth into a new species makes things weird, sorta incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 23:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Love_Psycho/pseuds/Love_Psycho
Summary: A small breathing space in the midst of travel and fighting has Asch confront his feelings towards Luke.





	Tainted Hearts, Pure Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Random weird idea that hit me. Um, does this count as making up for all the angst I've been doing for Abyss?
> 
> Also, the irony that a glimpse into a _Berseria _style AU has the fluff...__

Asch lets out a huff, letting himself half fall to the ground. He just avoids it becoming a disgraceful sprawl due to his unnatural grace. Not that Asch would care if it was; the last battle was _exhausting_.

Jade is going on about something in regards to the recent daemons they faced, but Asch ignores him. He is too focused on flexing his hands, eyeing the claws on them that retract, and dealing with the weird ache that flows through his limbs after he fights a powerful fellow daemon. The others are more than enough of an audience to that crazy mage.

“Asch?” That familiar voice makes Asch look up and another, different, ache hits as he looks into the face of Luke. The Malak's voice is gentle and he hovers a bit next to him, unsure of what to do.

Asch grunts and pats the grass next to him. He tries to ignore how Luke beams at that, settling demurely next to him. Instead, he lets the urge within him rise and flops over fully, letting his head rest on Luke's knees. He lets out a small squeak at Asch doing that, but soon enough a hand is carefully carding through his hair. It's enough to let the last of the stress from the battle fade away.

Asch peers up at Luke's face, the gentle expression on his face. He looks so happy, so content, just to be with Asch in this small, fragile, peaceful moment.

Asch can't be happy. Not fully. Not since he was ten, when Vandesdelca Musto Fende had betrayed them. Back then he was known to them as Van Grants, had been a teacher to them, a guide. Someone kind and even fatherly in replacement of their often absent father.

Asch never thought that such kindness could hide such a twisted mind. But to the majority of the world, Commandant Vandesdelca is a hero, with his power allowing him to beat back the terrible daemons that plague the world. They don't know just what he did to earn that power, what price was paid for such “peace”.

“Asch?” Luke's voice directs him to pay attention to him again. He's biting his lip lightly and looks unsure, eyes flicking over Asch's body. “Are you...are you okay? You aren't injured, are you?” Light starts to gather around him, and Asch sighs.

“No.” He says it quickly, because if he doesn't Luke will soon be fussing over him. “Just...thinking.”

“About...about bad things.” Luke trips a bit over that and looks guilty, though he shouldn't.

“Yeah.” Asch look at Luke again and **aches**. Because this is his _brother_ , the one he thought dead seven years ago, but it is also _not_ his brother. Luke is a Malak now, a Malak with no real memory of being Luke fon Fabre.

But it's not like Asch is unchanged either. Asch is now a daemon, a powerful one born from the same power that Van paid for with Luke's own lifeblood. And the feelings he holds within now...

 _'I shouldn't feel this way about my brother.'_ Asch knows this, wants to feel guilty about it, but he doesn't. He just wants Luke more; ever more the longer he gets to know this new and yet unchanged Luke. As he thinks, he lifts up a hand and gently touches Luke's cheek, staring into his brilliant green eyes, brighter than his own.

Without thinking, Asch pulls Luke's face down at the same time he lifts his own head and gently presses his lips to Luke's. There is a pause, then Luke lets out a soft whine and Asch realizes just what he did. He quickly pulls back and looks away, blushing hard, cursing his impulsive action. He doesn't see how Luke lifts a hand to his mouth, pressing his fingertips to his lips, and looks to be in awe slightly.

“Sorry. I shouldn't have...” Asch swallows. “Sorry.”

“Don't be.” Asch turns at those words and Luke quickly blushes at his gaze. “I...I liked it. I liked it a lot.”

“Oh.” Asch knows his face is burning hard enough to be close to matching his hair. Still, he reaches up carefully and runs his hands through Luke's hair, cradling his face in his hands. “That's...that's good.”

Luke smiles, and opens his mouth to speak.

“Well, I believe that's more than enough relaxation. Time to start moving forward once again.”

Asch sits up and glares at Jade, while Luke turns a brilliant red, trying to hide his face behind a curtain of equally red hair. “What the fuck--!?”

“We are on something of a time limit, remember?” The aggravating mage stands patiently before them with his ever present smirk on his face. Asch grinds his teeth, but doesn't bother arguing with him.

He just stands, brushing dirt off his pants, then offers a hand to Luke and pulls him up once it is accepted. “Right. Let's get to Kaitzur and get that ship we need.” Luke twines his fingers with Asch's and he can't bring himself to letting go with that simple action warming his hand and heart.

“Yes.” Jade looks ahead, where Anise is ranting at Guy over something, the poor gynophobic swordsman attempting to stay out of touch range from the vivacious puppeteer and failing as usual. “And, I'm certain you and Luke can find yourselves a nice _private_ room while at it on that ship.”

Asch nearly chokes on his own spit at that while Luke attempts to protest, stumbling over his words and turning an even deeper red. Jade merely smirks and cheerfully goes on ahead, as if he didn't just half traumatize the two redheads with those carefully chosen words.

“Damn that man.” Asch grumbles with a hand covering his face, but he still doesn't let go of Luke's hand.

Yes, he shouldn't feel this way. He knows that well. But he's already damned. One more sin is meaningless.

Especially, Asch thinks as he eyes Luke out of the corner of his eye as they rejoin their travel companions, if it's one that makes him nothing more than happy. Happiness is something they have so little of these days.

Asch will hold on tight to even the slightest bit with that in mind, and he squeezes Luke's hand, drawing his attention and getting a smile in response, as if to prove it.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this one is short; it's only two pages in my documents. And yes, the muses are now interested in this AU. As if I don't have ENOUGH fics for Abyss either as pure ideas or currently in progress...
> 
> If I do this, it won't fully follow the Berseria story, but instead borrow elements from that, toss in stuff from Abyss, and then sprinkle in more original stuff to make things work.
> 
> Comments are VERY appreciated! Makes me have stuff on hand to convince the plunnies and muses that any bigger fics would be welcome from me for Abyss.


End file.
